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soft　answer　that　turneth　away　wrath　but　the　inconsequent　one　that　

shelves　it。



〃Let's　go　and　dress　for　dinner。〃



The　meal；　like　so　many　that　Francesca　and　Comus　had　eaten　in　each　

other's　company　of　late；　was　a　silent　one。　　Now　that　the　full　

bearings　of　the　disaster　had　been　discussed　in　all　its　aspects　

there　was　nothing　more　to　be　said。　　Any　attempt　at　ignoring　the　

situation；　and　passing　on　to　less　controversial　topics　would　have　

been　a　mockery　and　pretence　which　neither　of　them　would　have　

troubled　to　sustain。　　So　the　meal　went　forward　with　its　dragged…out　

dreary　intimacy　of　two　people　who　were　separated　by　a　gulf　of　

bitterness；　and　whose　hearts　were　hard　with　resentment　against　one　

another。



Francesca　felt　a　sense　of　relief　when　she　was　able　to　give　the　maid　

the　order　to　serve　her　coffee　upstairs。　　Comus　had　a　sullen　scowl　

on　his　face；　but　he　looked　up　as　she　rose　to　leave　the　room；　and　

gave　his　half…mocking　little　laugh。



〃You　needn't　look　so　tragic；〃　he　said；　〃You're　going　to　have　your　

own　way。　　I'll　go　out　to　that　West　African　hole。〃







CHAPTER　XIII







COMUS　found　his　way　to　his　seat　in　the　stalls　of　the　Straw　Exchange　

Theatre　and　turned　to　watch　the　stream　of　distinguished　and　

distinguishable　people　who　made　their　appearance　as　a　matter　of　

course　at　a　First　Night　in　the　height　of　the　Season。　　Pit　and　

gallery　were　already　packed　with　a　throng；　tense；　expectant　and　

alert；　that　waited　for　the　rise　of　the　curtain　with　the　eager　

patience　of　a　terrier　watching　a　dilatory　human　prepare　for　outdoor　

exercises。　　Stalls　and　boxes　filled　slowly　and　hesitatingly　with　a　

crowd　whose　component　units　seemed　for　the　most　part　to　recognise　

the　probability　that　they　were　quite　as　interesting　as　any　play　

they　were　likely　to　see。　　Those　who　bore　no　particular　face…value　

themselves　derived　a　certain　amount　of　social　dignity　from　the　near　

neighbourhood　of　obvious　notabilities；　if　one　could　not　obtain　

recognition　oneself　there　was　some　vague　pleasure　in　being　able　to　

recognise　notoriety　at　intimately　close　quarters。



〃Who　is　that　woman　with　the　auburn　hair　and　a　rather　effective　

belligerent　gleam　in　her　eyes？〃　asked　a　man　sitting　just　behind　

Comus；　〃she　looks　as　if　she　might　have　created　the　world　in　six　

days　and　destroyed　it　on　the　seventh。〃



〃I　forget　her　name；〃　said　his　neighbour；　〃she　writes。　　She's　the　

author　of　that　book；　'The　Woman　who　wished　it　was　Wednesday；'　you　

know。　　It　used　to　be　the　convention　that　women　writers　should　be　

plain　and　dowdy；　now　we　have　gone　to　the　other　extreme　and　build　

them　on　extravagantly　decorative　lines。〃



A　buzz　of　recognition　came　from　the　front　rows　of　the　pit；　together　

with　a　craning　of　necks　on　the　part　of　those　in　less　favoured　

seats。　　It　heralded　the　arrival　of　Sherard　Blaw；　the　dramatist　who　

had　discovered　himself；　and　who　had　given　so　ungrudgingly　of　his　

discovery　to　the　world。　　Lady　Caroline；　who　was　already　directing　

little　conversational　onslaughts　from　her　box；　gazed　gently　for　a　

moment　at　the　new　arrival；　and　then　turned　to　the　silver…haired　

Archdeacon　sitting　beside　her。



〃They　say　the　poor　man　is　haunted　by　the　fear　that　he　will　die　

during　a　general　election；　and　that　his　obituary　notices　will　be　

seriously　curtailed　by　the　space　taken　up　by　the　election　results。　　

The　curse　of　our　party　system；　from　his　point　of　view；　is　that　it　

takes　up　so　much　room　in　the　press。〃



The　Archdeacon　smiled　indulgently。　　As　a　man　he　was　so　exquisitely　

worldly　that　he　fully　merited　the　name　of　the　Heavenly　Worldling　

bestowed　on　him　by　an　admiring　duchess；　and　withal　his　texture　was　

shot　with　a　pattern　of　such　genuine　saintliness　that　one　felt　that　

whoever　else　might　hold　the　keys　of　Paradise　he；　at　least；　

possessed　a　private　latchkey　to　that　abode。



〃Is　it　not　significant　of　the　altered　grouping　of　things；〃　he　

observed；　〃that　the　Church；　as　represented　by　me；　sympathises　with　

the　message　of　Sherard　Blaw；　while　neither　the　man　nor　his　message　

find　acceptance　with　unbelievers　like　you；　Lady　Caroline。〃



Lady　Caroline　blinked　her　eyes。　　〃My　dear　Archdeacon；〃　she　said；　

〃no　one　can　be　an　unbeliever　nowadays。　　The　Christian　Apologists　

have　left　one　nothing　to　disbelieve。〃



The　Archdeacon　rose　with　a　delighted　chuckle。　　〃I　must　go　and　tell　

that　to　De　la　Poulett；〃　he　said；　indicating　a　clerical　figure　

sitting　in　the　third　row　of　the　stalls；　〃he　spends　his　life　

explaining　from　his　pulpit　that　the　glory　of　Christianity　consists　

in　the　fact　that　though　it　is　not　true　it　has　been　found　necessary　

to　invent　it。〃



The　door　of　the　box　opened　and　Courtenay　Youghal　entered；　bringing　

with　him　subtle　suggestion　of　chaminade　and　an　atmosphere　of　

political　tension。　　The　Government　had　fallen　out　of　the　good　

graces　of　a　section　of　its　supporters；　and　those　who　were　not　in　

the　know　were　busy　predicting　a　serious　crisis　over　a　forthcoming　

division　in　the　Committee　stage　of　an　important　Bill。　　This　was　

Saturday　night；　and　unless　some　successful　cajolery　were　effected　

between　now　and　Monday　afternoon；　Ministers　would　be；　seemingly；　in　

danger　of　defeat。



〃Ah；　here　is　Youghal；〃　said　the　Archdeacon；　〃he　will　be　able　to　

tell　us　what　is　going　to　happen　in　the　next　forty…eight　hours。　　I　

hear　the　Prime　Minister　says　it　is　a　matter　of　conscience；　and　they　

will　stand　or　fall　by　it。〃



His　hopes　and　sympathies　were　notoriously　on　the　Ministerial　side。



Youghal　greeted　Lady　Caroline　and　subsided　gracefully　into　a　chair　

well　in　the　front　of　the　box。　　A　buzz　of　recognition　rippled　slowly　

across　the　house。



〃For　the　Government　to　fall　on　a　matter　of　conscience；〃　he　said；　

〃would　be　like　a　man　cutting　himself　with　a　safety　razor。〃



Lady　Caroline　purred　a　gentle　approval。



〃I'm　afraid　it's　true；　Archdeacon；〃　she　said。



No　one　can　effectively　defend　a　Government　when　it's　been　in　office　

several　years。　　The　Archdeacon　took　refuge　in　light　skirmishing。



〃I　believe　Lady　Caroline　sees　the　makings　of　a　great　Socialist　

statesman　in　you；　Youghal；〃　he　observed。



〃Great　Socialist　statesmen　aren't　made；　they're　stillborn；〃　replied　

Youghal。



〃What　is　the　play　about　to…night？〃　asked　a　pale　young　woman　who　had　

taken　no　part　in　the　talk。



〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Lady　Caroline；　〃but　I　hope　it's　dull。　　If　

there　is　any　brilliant　conversation　in　it　I　shall　burst　into　

tears。〃



In　the　front　row　of　the　upper　circle　a　woman　with　a　restless　

starling…voice　was　discussing　the　work　of　a　temporarily　fashionable　

composer；　chiefly　in　relation　to　her　own　emotions；　which　she　seemed　

to　think　might　prove　generally　interesting　to　those　around　her。



〃Whenever　I　hear　his　music　I　feel　that　I　want　to　go　up　into　a　

mountain　and　pray。　　Can　you　understand　that　feeling？〃



The　girl　to　whom　she　was　unburdening　herself　shook　her　head。



〃You　see；　I've　heard　his　music　chiefly　in　Switzerland；　and　we　were　

up　among　the　mountains　all　the　time；　so　it　wouldn't　have　made　any　

difference。〃



〃In　that　case；〃　said　the　woman；　who　seemed　to　have　emergency　

emotions　to　suit　all　geographical　conditions；　〃I　should　have　wanted　

to　be　in　a　great　silent　plain　by　the　side　of　a　rushing　river。〃



〃What　I　think　is　so　splendid　about　his　music　…　〃　commenced　another　

starling…voice　on　the　further　side　of　the　girl。　　Like　sheep　that　

feed　greedily　before　the　coming　of　a　storm　the　starling…voices　

seemed　impelled　to　extra　effort　by　the　knowledge　of　four　imminent　

intervals　of　acting　during　which　they　would　be　hushed　into　

constrained　silence。



In　the　back　row　of　the　dress　circle　a　late…comer；　after　a　cursory　

glance　at　the　programme；　had　settled　down　into　a　comfortable　

narrative；　which　was　evidently　the　resumed　thread　of　an　unfinished　

taxi…drive　monologue。



〃We　all　said　'it　can't　be　Captain　Parminter；　because　he's　always　

been　sweet　on　Joan；'　and　then　Emily　said　…　〃



The　curtain　went　up；　and　Emily's　contribution　to　the　discussion　had　

to　be　held　over　till　the　entr'acte。



The　play　promised　to　be　a　success。　　The　author；　avoiding　the　

pitfall　of　brilliancy；　had　aimed　at　being　interesting　and　as　far　as　

possible；　bearing　in　mind　that　his　play　was　a　comedy；　he　had　

striven　to　be　amusing。　　Above　all　he　had　remembered　that　in　the　

laws　of　stage　proportions　it　is　permissible　and　generally　desirable　

that　the　part　should　be　greater　than　the　whole；　hence　he　had　been　

careful　to　give　the　leading　lady　such　a　clear　and　commanding　lead　

over　the　other　characters　of　the　play　that　it　was　impossible　for　

any　of　them　ever　to　get　on　level　terms　with　her。　　The　action　of　the　

piece　was　now　and　then　delayed　thereby；　but　the　duration　of　its　run　

would　be　materially　prolonged。



The　curtain　came　down　on　the　first　act　amid　an　encouraging　

instalment　of　applause；　and　the　audience　turned　its　back　on　the　

stage　and　began　to　take　a　renewed　interest　in　itself。　　The　

authoress　of　〃The　Woman　who　wished　it　was　Wednesday〃　had　swept　like　

a　convalescent　whirlwind；　subdued　but　potentially　tempestuous；　into　

Lady　Caroline's　box。



〃I've　just　trodden　with　all　my　weight　on　the　foot　of　an　eminent　

publisher　as　I　was　leaving　my　seat；〃　she　cried；　with　a　peal　of　

delighted　laughter。　　〃He　was　such　a　dear　about　it；　I　said　I　hoped　I　

hadn't　hurt　him；　and　he　said；　'I　suppose　you　think；　who　drives　hard　

bargains　should　himself　be　hard。'　　Wasn't　it　pet…lamb　of　him？〃



〃I've　never　trodden　on　a　pet　lamb；〃　said　Lady　Caroline；　〃so　I've　no　

idea　what　its　behaviour　would　be　under　the　circumstances。〃



〃Tell　me；〃　said　the　authoress；　coming　to　the　front　of　the　box；　the　

better　to　survey　the　house；　and　perhaps　also　with　a　charitable　

desire　to　make　things　easy　for　those　who　might　pardonably　wish　to　

survey　her；　〃tell　me；　please；　where　is　the　girl　sitting　whom　

Courtenay　Youghal　is　engaged　to？〃



Elaine　was　pointed　out